Birch - Alfred
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 27 October 1899
Alfred Birch, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Birch, of Beach Street, was killed Tuesday night while serving in his position as brakeman on the Indianapolis division of the Monon. He started with the train south bound Tuesday and when Delphi was reached he was missed. The train crew heard nothing more of him until after daylight when they received word that another train had come upon his mangled body on the track two miles south of Monon. It is supposed he was crossing from the top of one car to another and fell beneath the wheels. The body was brought here on number five on Wednesday and was buried on Thursday. The deceased was thirty years of age and had lived in this city all his life, being popular with all to whom he was known. The days he had off from work he spent here with his parents, of whom he was the chief support. The trainmen who came with the body spoke of him in the highest terms as an efficient workman liked by all.
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 27 October 1899
The funeral of Alfred Birch, who was killed on the Monon Wednesday, took place Thursday morning from his parents’ home on Beach Street, Dr. Runyan officiating. Quite a number of railroad men from out of the city were present. The following special from Monon will interest the many friends of the young man: “Face to face with death, ‘Kid’ Birch, of Crawfordsville, a railroad freight brakeman, today gave an extraordinary exhibition of nerve. He was on a train that left this place at 2 a.m. About three fourths of a mile outside of town he fell between the cars. Both his legs were crushed off, and his body fearfully mangled. The train crew did not miss him until the train reached Delphi, when they notified the fast passenger train crew to watch out for him between there and Monon. Birch meantime had crawled to the track and placed some torpedoes on the rails to attract the attention of the first train that might pass. The incoming train heard the report of the torpedoes, stopped and the crew found him still alive. He was brought into the Monon depot, where he died.”